The European Union is to ban poultry imports from Thailand - the world's fourth largest producer - following an outbreak of bird flu there.

The ban is expected to be officially announced today, an EU official said in Brussels.

Along with Japan, the EU is the biggest importer of Thai chicken and Japan announced an import ban yesterday.

Meanwhile, Thailand's prime minister said today that lab test results would "most likely" show that the country is facing an outbreak of bird flu and the Thai Health Ministry officials later confirmed two cases of bird flu in people at separate hospitals in central Thailand.